The Fate Series : Part 2 A Twist of Fate
by ElaineDex
Summary: AU : Follow on story to A Touch of Fate - Lorne is back in Ellie’s life, but will fate conspire to bring them closer or keep them apart?


Date : 19.10.2009

Title : The Fate Series : Part 2 - A Twist of Fate

Author : ElaineDex

Chapter : 1 of ?

Rating : M

Pairings : Lt. Colonel John Sheppard/OC

Major Evan Lorne/OC

Warnings : Some Sexual Content, Romance, Angst, Maybe Some Strong Language. Follows straight on from A Touch of Fate.

Feedback : Yes please, always welcome whatever it may be.

Disclaimer : Dr. Ellie Lorne, and any O/C's are mine. Lyssa Hunter belongs to Kazavid and is from her Atlantis stories Behind The Mask and Reunions. Stargate Atlantis, unfortunately, has nothing to do with me.

**Summary : AU : Follow on story to A Touch of Fate - Lorne is back in Ellie's life, but will fate conspire to bring them closer or keep them apart?**

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

Dr. Ellie Lorne dumped her laptop onto her workbench and wrinkled her nose up at the abandoned coffee cups that were strewn about, left by McKay and Zelenka no doubt.

She was just about to move them out of her way when Lorne appeared in the doorway.

They looked at one another awkwardly for a moment, various thoughts running through their minds.

Ellie was busy trying to remember that this was not the same man that she had been married to and Lorne was trying to get over the wealth of feelings he had unearthed just by snooping through the other Lorne's laptop.

Eventually it was Ellie that found her voice first.

"Can I help you Major?" she asked.

"Uh…yeah, Dr. McKay issued me with this laptop, but its…" he trailed off as he saw recognition in Ellie's eyes as she looked at the laptop he held.

"That was Evan's…" she stated.

"Yeah…it um, it hasn't been wiped…I wondered if you wanted it or…" he stopped uncertainly as she looked away.

"I erm…" Ellie bit her lip as he put the laptop down onto the workbench.

"There's photographs on there…do you want to check you have them…I mean, it'd be a shame to wipe them…" Lorne said and Ellie cleared her throat.

"You looked at them?" she asked, her tone inquisitive rather than angry.

Lorne's cheeks flushed.

"Yeah, sorry…" he admitted, I was trying to see if there were any pictures of home…I kinda assumed your me came from San Francisco too."

Ellie nodded, wondering if he'd looked through all of the pictures that were stored on Evan's laptop.

"Yes, he did…" she replied eventually, then added, "everything that's on there is a duplicate of what's on mine, so I can wipe it for you."

"Are you sure? You can leave it all on there if you like, just in case. I really don't mind…" Evan said, stopping as she opened up the laptop and powered it up.

"It's fine…I have mine backed up about a trillion times so…" Ellie looked away again, her own cheeks colouring and yet again Lorne was struck by how much softer she seemed in comparison to his Ellie.

Sighing he said, "I'm sorry if seeing me brings back painful memories for you."

Ellie looked at him and shook her head, but her bottom lip wobbled a little and she cleared her throat before speaking in an attempt to get her emotions under control again.

"I wont lie and tell you that its fine, but it isn't your fault and I just need to accept that you're not him…and I do hope that you'll find some happiness here. I'm sure I'll discover things about you, as time goes by, that'll bring it home to me just how different you are to my husband…and that will help…"

Lorne nodded.

"I know what you mean…I can already see how different you and Lyssa are to how mine were."

"I'm different?" Ellie asked as she began to reset Evan's laptop.

"Yeah…a lot…" Lorne replied, smiling a little at her and Ellie's blush deepened and she looked away again.

"So do you like to paint?" she asked and Lorne's smile widened.

"I do yes, unfortunately though I didn't manage to salvage any of my equipment after the attack, so I'm hoping that one day Colonel Sheppard will let me acquire some from earth."

Ellie's eyebrows drew together as she thought of all of Evan's paints and blank canvases sitting unused in their wardrobes and she worried her lip as she considered saying that he could have them. She was just about to offer when Statham strode into the lab and she saw the look of uncertainty that crossed his face when he saw Lorne stood there.

"Hey," she said, smiling at him.

"Hey," he replied, moving to her side and kissing her cheek before turning to Lorne.

"Major," he greeted the other man stiffly and Lorne nodded in response.

"Sir," he replied, feeling that the 'sir' bit was in order seeing as Statham was the Major who had been around this Atlantis the longest.

He had watched with interest as Statham had kissed Ellie. He hadn't realised that she was involved with him.

"What's going on?" Statham asked and Ellie looked up at him.

"Major Lorne was given Evan's laptop to use, but it wasn't wiped so I'm just doing that for him now," she replied and Statham nodded.

"Right."

An uncomfortable silence settled and Lorne was about to say he'd leave the laptop with her when she said,

"Here we go, all done," and she snapped the lid shut and handed him the computer back.

"Thanks…I'll um, see you around then…" he said, taking it from her and Ellie smiled.

"Yes, perhaps."

When he'd gone, Statham looked at her.

"You alright?" he asked.

"Yes…I'm fine," she answered, thinking that actually, she was. Seeing and speaking to new Lorne hadn't been quite as traumatic as she had been envisaging and she was glad it was now done and dusted.

"Good…good…" Statham replied, smiling at her and she leaned into him a little as she said,

"So, what can I do for you?"

"I was just passing on my rounds, thought I'd call in to see how you were," Statham replied, his arm snaking around her waist to pull her closer against him.

Ellie smiled at him, resting her hands against his chest.

"Well, as you can see, I'm alright," she replied, then added, "I'm going to help Lyssa choose something to wear for her date with Sheppard later so if you want to get something for dinner without me that's okay."

Statham regarded her, then kissed her nose.

"I can wait for you," he told her, then moved away reluctantly.

Ellie nodded, "Okay, up to you," she said as she began to boot up her own laptop.

"I'll see you later then," Statham said and she waved a hand at him as he left the lab.

As he went he hoped that she was really okay and that her talk with new Lorne hadn't really upset her.

For now though, he had to trust that she was telling him the truth with regard to her feelings about new Lorne.

Sighing he headed back on his rounds.

**OoOoOoO**

Later, Ellie stood in the doorway to Lyssa's quarters.

"You sure I look alright?" Lyssa asked, smoothing her hands down over the jeans and halter neck top she wore. It had taken her and Ellie over an hour to choose that precise top and she was still uncertain about it.

"Yes, I'm sure. John wont be able to keep his eyes off of you and probably his hands too," Ellie assured her friend.

"Thanks…I think…" Lyssa replied, frowning worriedly.

"Have a good time and I want all the details tomorrow, okay?" Ellie said, beginning to move toward her own doorway, eager to gather the painting equipment together for Lorne.

She hadn't been able to stop thinking about giving him the things all afternoon.

"Okay, thanks," Lyssa called out, wondering why Ellie seemed so eager to escape back to her quarters, unless Statham was waiting in there for her maybe.

As Ellie disappeared into her own room, Lyssa glanced up and down the corridor nervously before ducking back inside.

Sheppard was due any time and she was nervous.

ooooo

Ellie stood before Evan's wardrobe and took a deep steadying breath.

When she was ready she opened up the doors and stared at his things for a moment. Taking in the sight of them she tried to not let the longing for her husband consume her again.

Pushing aside her thoughts, she knelt down and began to dig out his easel, box of paints, spare sketch pads, pencils and blank canvases. That done she sat back, eyeing the other contents at the bottom of the wardrobe.

There were some military boots, some sneakers, a couple of pairs of shoes and a bag from a store back home on earth.

Frowning, she pulled the bag out and glanced inside, instantly remembering that it was the last lot of new clothing that Evan had bought on their last ever trip home, just before his death.

There were a couple of pairs of jeans, some sweatshirts and T-shirts, some new boxer shorts and some new sneakers. Everything was still wrapped and had the labels on and without thinking too much about what she was doing, she put the bag with the paints and other things.

She sat for a moment, looking up at the shirts that hung from the railing and she leant forward and brought one of the cuffs to her nose, sniffing up as she tried to remember her husband's unique scent.

The thought suddenly struck her that she actually couldn't remember and she stood and moved over the bedside drawers in a slight panic. She pulled a drawer open and reached for the cologne that Evan had worn and she was instantly transported back to time when she had nuzzled against his chest, breathing in the scent of him as they made love.

She put the bottle down abruptly and turned back toward the things that she had put together for new Lorne.

She put the handles of the bag that contained the clothes over her arm, then picked up the easel, sketch pads and the canvases, then balanced the box of paints and the pack of pencils against her chest and under her chin.

She just about managed to open her quarters' doors and then she was on her way to new Lorne's.

00000

Lorne looked away from the view of the ocean through his balcony doors as his quarters' door buzzer sounded.

Not expecting anyone to call on him, he wondered who it could be as he headed over and waved his hand over the sensor.

"Ellie…?" he said as he was presented with the sight of her weighed down by painting equipment.

Ellie poked her head up.

"Hi…could you um…" she didn't get a chance to finish asking him to help her before he began reaching for things to take from her.

She followed him inside and he put down the easel, sketch pads and canvases at the foot of his bed and she put the paints, pencils and the bag down onto the bed.

As his doors slid shut he said,

"What's all this?" even though he guessed that they had belonged to the late other him.

"Well," Ellie began nervously, "I thought about what you said earlier, about not having anything to paint with and well, Evan's stuff is just sat there…going unused…and it seems like such a shame…" she trailed off, blushing as she realised that she had rushed her words and that he was just staring at her.

"I'm sorry…if you don't want them I understand…" she bit her bottom lip and cursed her presumptuousness that he would be happy to receive the paints until he said,

"Ellie, I don't know how to thank you…but are you sure about this, I mean I know what these things must mean to you…"

Ellie looked at him and smiled.

"I know that you'll look after them and If you can make use of them then I'd rather you have them than them just sitting there gathering dust."

Lorne nodded and glanced at the bag.

"What's in there?" he asked.

"Take a look," Ellie said, her heart beating a little harder again as she wondered if he would appreciate the clothes, seeing as they had never been worn.

Lorne smiled expectantly as he looked into the bag and then began to pull the packaged clothing from it.

He looked at her quizzically and she said,

"On our last trip home Evan bought those things, but as you can see by the labels he didn't get a chance to wear them…that's the only reason that I thought you might want them. Again though, if you don't I quite…" she trailed off as he pulled a small gift bag from in between the jeans and the sweat shirts and she frowned as she saw the name on the bag.

'_Victoria's Secret'_

She swallowed hard and watched as he opened the gift bag and pulled out something wrapped in tissue paper.

When he lifted up the white tulle and satin baby doll with matching bikini panties, Ellie's breath left her in a startled gasp and she went very pale before turning an alarming shade of scarlet.

"Wow," Lorne said, taking an inordinate amount of time to put the lingerie back into the gift bag and Ellie cleared her throat uncomfortably.

"I…I…I had no idea that was there…I'm so sorry…" she said and Lorne handed the bag to her.

"Your husband had good taste," he said and Ellie looked away, thinking that Evan must have bought the lingerie for what had been her upcoming birthday at the time. He of course had never been able to give her the gift.

Suddenly, the wind seemed to get knocked from her sails and she sat with a thud onto the edge of Lorne's bed, her hand going to her mouth as she bit back a sob of pure grief, her hands clutching the bag to her.

Lorne frowned and rounded the bed. He sat beside her and looked at her, his eyes full of sorrow for her and for him and for what they had both lost.

"I'm sorry," he said, his hand touching her shoulder.

Before Ellie could think rationally, she leant against him, her fingers losing their grip on the gift bag and it dropped to the floor, forgotten as she wrapped one arm around his middle.

She buried her face against his chest and heaved a ragged breath as she tried to get her emotions under control.

Lorne's eyebrows bunched together as she pressed herself against him and his arms hovered in mid air for a moment or two before he wrapped them around her, holding her gently.

Eventually, Ellie pulled away from him, her eyes moist with unshed tears.

She swallowed past the lump in her throat and said,

"I'm sorry…I shouldn't have…" she trailed off as he shook his head.

"Its fine…"

They sat for a moment until Ellie said,

"I should go…" and she stood and headed for the door, Lorne following her.

As the doors slid open he said,

"Thanks for the things, I really do appreciate them and I will take great care of the easel and the paints."

"I know you will," Ellie replied, unable to resist reaching a hand out and touching it to his face gently before scampering away down the corridor.

Lorne watched her go for a moment before heading back inside, his eyes finding the fallen Victoria's Secret bag and he moved to pick it up, trying not to think about the sexy garment inside and how Ellie would have looked wearing it.

Shaking his head he put the bag on top of a set of drawers, deciding to give it to her next time an opportune moment came along.

He sighed deeply as he cast his eyes over the easel, canvases, paints and clothes and he was moved by the sweet gesture, one he was sure must have taken a lot of effort on Ellie's part.

He began to move the canvases and noticed that one seemed to have paint already on it and he pulled that particular one out, his breath catching as he saw that it was a half finished portrait of Ellie.

He stared at the painting for the longest time, tears welling in his own eyes as it struck him once again how very much the pair had seemed to love one another. Eventually vowing that he would finish it on the other his' behalf, he put the portrait down and headed out to his balcony.

Thoughts raced around his head and he gripped the railing tighter as he tried to hold on to the memories that he had of the few precious months that he had shared with his Lyssa.

He thought about her hair, her eyes, the way she laughed, the way she always seemed so carefree and happy.

Suddenly he moved back inside and grabbed a sketch pad and got a pencil from the pack and began to draw Lyssa.

By the time he was done he could barely see for the tears in his eyes.

He had to hold on to her memory for right now, it was all he had.

End of Chapter 1


End file.
